On New Year's Day, Mathieu van der Poel claimed victory at the GP Sven Nys. The world champion spent much of the race in Baal alongside Emiel Verstrynge but went solo with three laps to go. He ultimately won by a large margin. Verstrynge finished second, while local rider Thibau Nys took third.
January 1 means: the New Year's Concert in Vienna, ski jumping in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and the GP Sven Nys in Baal. In the first cyclocross race of 2026, world champion Mathieu van der Poel was again the top favorite, but home rider Thibau Nys was a formidable opponent. Additionally, Joris Nieuwenhuis, Cameron Mason, Toon Aerts, and Emiel Verstrynge were not to be underestimated.
Aerts leads the way
None of the mentioned riders got the best start. It was actually Wout Janssen who first charged into the field. The 23-year-old Belgian led the opening minutes of the race, but in the second part of the opening lap, Thibau Nys took over with Mathieu van der Poel on his tail. The two favorites were thus at the front, but a large group remained close behind. Toon Aerts was still up front as well and took the lead.
Nys was further back in the group and even found himself behind a small gap. Cameron Mason, second in the X2O Badkamers Trophy, was more alert: the Brit came through first after one lap, gaining fifteen bonus seconds for the overall classification. He then continued to apply pressure. Aerts had no trouble with this and took over the lead. Thanks to the European champion’s pace, more gaps began to open, but after a weaker slanted section, it was someone else’s turn to take charge: Mathieu van der Poel.
Nys had to chase back – photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Van der Poel gains company
Aerts was able to close a first gap, but when MVDP pushed again on the asphalt, the world champion was gone. After less than twelve minutes of racing, Van der Poel showed his cards. After two laps, he had a seven-second lead over Emiel Verstrynge, the first chaser. Aerts was eleven seconds back, Nieuwenhuis at sixteen, with Nys and Jente Michels at eighteen.
Race over? Not quite. In the third of eight laps, Verstrynge caught back up to Van der Poel. The latter then seemed to tow Verstrynge along — his teammate at Alpecin-Premier Tech on the road. After three laps, the pair's advantage over Nieuwenhuis, Nys, Aerts, and Michels had grown to 26 seconds. Van der Poel kept pushing until he suddenly crashed. However, he quickly rejoined Verstrynge and then briefly stayed on the Belgian’s wheel.
photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
In the fifth lap, Van der Poel took the initiative again and increased the tempo. Verstrynge struggled, left a gap, and was three seconds behind at the line. That gap widened in the sixth lap. MVDP would ride the rest of the race solo, remaining unbeaten this cyclocross winter. Behind him, Verstrynge secured second place, while Nys claimed third. The Belgian champion had dropped Nieuwenhuis, Aerts, and Michels by lap six.
Nieuwenhuis scored well for the X2O Badkamers Trophy. He gained significant time on Mason. The gap between first and second in the overall classification has now grown to over two minutes.
X²O Badkamers Trofee - GP Sven Nys| Rank | Rider | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 59:04 | |
| 2 | + 37 | |
| 3 | + 01:16 | |
| 4 | + 01:24 | |
| 5 | + 01:26 | |
| 6 | + 01:59 | |
| 7 | + 02:27 | |
| 8 | + 02:38 | |
| 9 | + 02:46 | |
| 10 | + 03:03 |
